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Week 1 Assignment

Milestones in Human Services Evaluation

Since the 17th century, the goal of human services has been to improve the lives of at-risk members of society. If a community need existed, a service was provided. The scope and practice of implementing these programs have evolved over time. For example, since the Great Depression, the concept of social welfare has grown in scope and complexity. Human services programs have always focused on serving and protecting at-risk populations and families, but the variety of human services programs and initiatives has changed. Today, human services programs continue to address a broader set of social welfare issues such as homelessness, HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, and other issues, as well as to provide rehabilitation settings, support groups, information sessions, and literature. Organizations such as the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) and the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE) have emerged to guide human services professionals and their programs. These organizations provide codes of ethics and certification examinations to increase credibility and accountability in the human services profession. Because of these emerging trends and professional organizations, program evaluation has become increasingly important and has affected the field of human services.

In this Assignment, you will consider the time line of milestones in human services evaluation. You will select one milestone to examine more closely and explore the importance of that milestone in the development of evaluation procedures in human services. You will also analyze the general significance of program evaluation for the effective delivery of human services.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review the article “The Changing Nature of Accountability in Administrative Practice,” focusing on the history of accountability in human services. Think about the events that have forced the transformation of accountability.
• Review the “Introduction to Program Evaluation” time linein the media for this week and select one milestone of interest to you. Consider how the milestone you selected has affected program evaluation in the human services field.

The Assignment (1–2 pages):

• Describe the milestone you selected from the time line.
• Explain how the milestone has affected the emphasis on evaluation in the human services field and/or has changed the way human services professionals conduct evaluations.
• Explain the overall importance of program evaluation in determining the effectiveness of human services delivery.